Reaching and recoiling, I move through life
Always in a state of change, I sometimes flow, sometimes bounce, sometimes scream across this time/space
Never to remain satisfied, but for the slightest pause at the top of the breath
I labor onward, inward, outward
Tailing the song of a shape-shifting siren
Refractions of my Self peer, jeer, at my comically hopeless venture
Dharana, or concentration, is the sixth limb of Ashtanga, or Eight Limbs, of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. For me, dharana is one of the most vital steps along the path of Raja Yoga, or the Royal Road.
Life is a game, a dance, a play in which we are the willingly fooled participants, and as agreed, we have forgotten all of this so that we may play the game of remembrance.
I am hoping to begin an Evolver Regional Spore in Boise, ID and am seeking fellow merry makers to help organize the Spore gatherings. I already have a host-site in mind, but am new to the Boise area, so would like input on groups, events, ideas & needs of the Les Bois area.
Yoga teachers hear it all the time, as if the student needs them to bear witness to their sin. “It’s been two weeks since my last class.” “I haven’t been able to make it to yoga in over a month.” “I’ve been so busy, it’s been waaaaaay too long.” When students apologize for not attending class it reveals layers of self-doubt and criticism. But are you really a slacker?
On Tuesday I had the pleasure of seeing the poet Mary Oliver speak at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. After delighting the crowd with a few poems, Mary amused us by responding to inquiries from the audience. When posed the hard-hitting question, "What does our world need right now?", she let out a heavy "Whoa," then paused, swallowed, sighed then answered.
Years ago I read somewhere that one of the beautiful facts about the Western interest in all things Eastern and Indigenous is that they have been embraced and integrated without any coercion or force from the sources. There were no overt campaigns of conversion, subliminal manipulations, or outright war. There simply continues to be a giving and sharing to those with open hearts and minds.
"Banish the word 'struggle' from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones we have been waiting for." — Hopi elders
